Carla Bruni only gets better with age.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Russian Fashion Week Launches Its 20th Season in Moscow
Russian Fashion Week, the biggest fashion event in Eastern Europe, is celebrating its 20th season/10 years in Moscow's Congress-Hall of World Trade Center, turning the Russian capital into the world's hottest fashion destination for this period.
The RFW FW2010/11 schedule includes over 50 shows of cutting-edge designers from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, UK, Italy and more. This season RFW will host British Day under the support of the British Council with participation of Clare Lopeman, Osman Yousefzada, Eley Kishimoto and PPQ. The international flavor will also be added by MAION by Maria Prevolsek (Croatia) and KT Brown (Sri Lanka). Both shows will be held within the frameworks of RFW international cooperation with Fashion Week Zagreb and Colombo Fashion Week respectively. Italy will be represented by a debut collection by a young Italian brand, DISMO, and by a traditional N-U-DE (New Upcoming Designers) collective fashion show of 3 young designers. (N-U-DE showcase is organized in cooperation with Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana.)
"10 years ago we started with less than 20 shows in a season. Now Moscow generates a lot of new fashion ideas and showcases the best international talents," says Alexander Shumsky, RFW President.
Russian Fashion Week's program includes "Extending the Runway: Tatiana Sorokko Style" exhibition by famous Russian top model Tatiana Sorokko and "A Shaded View on Fashion Film" selection by famous fashion blogger and visionary Diane Pernet. Karim Rashid, the legendary industrial designer, will be a special guest of the RFW opening.
RFW attracts over 45,000 people and over 1000 accredited journalists and buyers seasonally. RFW is held under support of the Ministry of Culture of Russia, Russian Fashion Foundation and Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. RFW is produced by Artefact Communications Agency. In past seasons, Russian Fashion Week staged shows by Vivienne Westwood, Julien Macdonald, La Perla, Catherine Malandrino, Jeremy Scott, Costume National, Francesco Smalto, JC de Castelbajac and other prominent international designers along with established and up-and-coming Russian brands, such as Slava Zaitsev, Parfionova, Julia Nikolaeva, Lena Karnauhova, Chistova&Endourova, St. Bessarion, Egor Zaitsev, Masha Kravtsova, Tegin, Biryukov and others.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Priests Hit Hard by Hidden AIDS Epidemic
January 31, 2000
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (AP) -- Roman Catholic priests in the United States are dying from AIDS-related illnesses at a rate four times higher than the general population and the cause is often concealed on their death certificates, The Kansas City Star reported in a series of stories that started Sunday.
In the first of a three-part series, the newspaper said death certificates and interviews with experts indicated several hundred priests have died of AIDS-related illnesses since the mid-1980s and hundreds more are living with HIV, the virus that causes the disease.
"I think this speaks to a failure on the part of the church," said Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of the Archdiocese of Detroit. "Gay priests and heterosexual priests didn't know how to handle their sexuality, their sexual drive. And so they would handle it in ways that were not healthy."
The Star received 801 responses to questionnaires that were sent last fall to 3,000 of the 46,000 priests in the United States. The margin of error of the survey was 3.5 percentage points.
Six of 10 priests responding said they knew of at least one priest who had died of an AIDS-related illness, and one-third knew a priest living with AIDS. Three-fourths said the church needed to provide more education to seminarians on sexual issues.
"How to be celibate and to be gay at the same time, and how to be celibate and heterosexual at the same time, that's what we were never really taught how to do. And that was a major failing," Gumbleton said.
Asked about their sexual orientation, 75 percent said they were heterosexual, 15 percent said they were homosexual, and 5 percent said they were bisexual.
The Rev. John Keenan, who runs Trinity House, an outpatient clinic in Chicago for priests, said he believes most priests with AIDS contracted the disease through same-sex relations. He said he treated one priest who had infected eight other priests.
The Star said precise numbers of priests who have died of AIDS or become infected with HIV is unknown, partly because many suffer in solitude. When priests tell their superiors, the cases generally are handled quietly.
The newspaper cited the case of Bishop Emerson Moore, who left the Archdiocese of New York in 1995 and went to Minnesota, where he died in a hospice of an AIDS-related illness. His death certificate attributed the death to "unknown natural causes" and listed his occupation as "laborer" in the manufacturing industry.
After an AIDS activist filed a complaint, officials changed the cause of death to "HIV-related illness," the Star said, but the occupation was not corrected.
The newspaper said the death rate among priests from AIDS appears to be at least four times that of the rate for the general U.S. population.
Some priests and behavioral experts believe the church has scared priests into silence by treating homosexual acts as an abomination and the breaking of celibacy vows as shameful, the Star said.
Catholic cardinals in the United States and high-ranking church officials in the Vatican declined requests to discuss the newspaper's findings, The Star reported. The Vatican referred questions to local bishops.
Bishop Raymond Boland of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph said the AIDS deaths show that priests are human.
"Much as we would regret it, it shows that human nature is human nature," he said. "And all of us are heirs to all of the misfortunes that can be foisted upon the human race."
UPDATE November 2000
New Study Finds Catholic Priests Dying From AIDS at Higher Than Expected Rate
According to a study following a January report on Catholic priests dying of AIDS, the Kansas City Star has found that the AIDS-related death rate among priests "exceeds earlier estimates." The Star reported in a three-part series in January that "hundreds of priests had died of AIDS-related illnesses and that hundreds more were living with the virus that causes the disease."
Follow-up research, based on death certificates and interviews with family members, found an additional 300 AIDS-related priest deaths nationwide. However, researchers were unable to count AIDS-related deaths in the nearly two-thirds of states that do not disclose death records, and experts say that the "exact AIDS death toll among U.S. priests will never be known." In the 14 states that allowed the Star to access death records, the paper found that the AIDS-related death rate among priests was "more than double" the rate among all adult males in those states and more than six times the rate among the general population in those states. The Star reports that these rates "exceeded the estimates and projections reported earlier this year by the newspaper," and the follow-up investigation reveals that "there is no longer any question that hundreds of priests have died of AIDS and that many bishops were aware of their plights."
Mixed Response
The new study has sparked further controversy surrounding the relationship between priests, who are required to be celibate, and AIDS (Thomas, Kansas City Star, 11/4).
An op-ed to the Star by Rev. Patrick Rush, the vicar general of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, states that the paper's conclusions "are not consistent with the experience of our local diocese: not the death rate, not the silence and not the denial." He added, "The Star's continued reporting on the subject of priests with AIDS sadly misses the point. Any death from HIV/AIDS is a tragedy. ... It is a problem for us all" (Rush, Kansas City Star, 11/6).
But advocates cite the report as evidence that the Catholic Church needs to further address the issue.
Eugene Kennedy, former priest and biographer of the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago, said, "The fact that you have priests having very active sexual lives, that you have priests contracting HIV and dying of AIDS and that they have refused to come to terms with this and tend to deny it, I don't see how you look at this and not say that these are symptoms of an unresolved sexual problem within the church."
Sister Mary Ann Walsh, spokesperson for the Conference of Bishops, said the church "had been active in dealing with the AIDS issue and that seminary formation programs today are doing a better job of educating priests about sexuality issues."
Examples of recent efforts to address sexual issues and AIDS within the church include:
The National Federation of Priests' Councils is "updating" a 93-page document about AIDS. It now provides direction on how dioceses and religious orders should "deal with" HIV-positive priests and whether priest candidates should be tested for HIV.
The National Conference of Catholic Bishops, originally one of the study's "harshest critics," is endorsing a "major study" to look at problems priests face in their first five years after ordination. Dean Hoge, the study's principal investigator, said that the topics of sexuality and celibacy will be addressed.
The Church of England revealed this year that at least 25% of its priests had died of AIDS-related illnesses, and in September mandated that all Anglican bishops in southern Africa undergo HIV testing.
Root of the Problem
Through interviews with priests, AIDS experts, doctors, psychologists and educators, the Star found a general consensus that more education and communication is needed to curb the "tragedy of priests dying of AIDS."
Rev. Thomas Reese, editor of America magazine, a national Jesuit publication, cited the biggest issue as the "silence surrounding ... gay priests." Reese said, "The silence highlights a tension in a church that defines homosexuality as 'intrinsically disordered' but relies on many gay men to celebrate the sacraments and carry out the work of the church."
Jon Fuller, a Jesuit priest and Boston physician who specializes in AIDS, lamented the fact that the Vatican discourages open discussions on sexuality, considers homosexual relations a sin and opposes "modern practice" of safe sex.
However, the church has not entirely ignored the AIDS epidemic and has served as a "major provider of AIDS services" in San Francisco, according to the Rev. Jim Mitulski, co-pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco, a "predominantly gay congregation." Mitulski said, "It's compassion that comes with a price tag. ... The irony is, here's this institution that does have a heart for sick people, but at the same time, it's fostering a climate where HIV continues to be spread" (Kansas City Star, 11/4).
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (AP) -- Roman Catholic priests in the United States are dying from AIDS-related illnesses at a rate four times higher than the general population and the cause is often concealed on their death certificates, The Kansas City Star reported in a series of stories that started Sunday.
In the first of a three-part series, the newspaper said death certificates and interviews with experts indicated several hundred priests have died of AIDS-related illnesses since the mid-1980s and hundreds more are living with HIV, the virus that causes the disease.
"I think this speaks to a failure on the part of the church," said Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of the Archdiocese of Detroit. "Gay priests and heterosexual priests didn't know how to handle their sexuality, their sexual drive. And so they would handle it in ways that were not healthy."
The Star received 801 responses to questionnaires that were sent last fall to 3,000 of the 46,000 priests in the United States. The margin of error of the survey was 3.5 percentage points.
Six of 10 priests responding said they knew of at least one priest who had died of an AIDS-related illness, and one-third knew a priest living with AIDS. Three-fourths said the church needed to provide more education to seminarians on sexual issues.
"How to be celibate and to be gay at the same time, and how to be celibate and heterosexual at the same time, that's what we were never really taught how to do. And that was a major failing," Gumbleton said.
Asked about their sexual orientation, 75 percent said they were heterosexual, 15 percent said they were homosexual, and 5 percent said they were bisexual.
The Rev. John Keenan, who runs Trinity House, an outpatient clinic in Chicago for priests, said he believes most priests with AIDS contracted the disease through same-sex relations. He said he treated one priest who had infected eight other priests.
The Star said precise numbers of priests who have died of AIDS or become infected with HIV is unknown, partly because many suffer in solitude. When priests tell their superiors, the cases generally are handled quietly.
The newspaper cited the case of Bishop Emerson Moore, who left the Archdiocese of New York in 1995 and went to Minnesota, where he died in a hospice of an AIDS-related illness. His death certificate attributed the death to "unknown natural causes" and listed his occupation as "laborer" in the manufacturing industry.
After an AIDS activist filed a complaint, officials changed the cause of death to "HIV-related illness," the Star said, but the occupation was not corrected.
The newspaper said the death rate among priests from AIDS appears to be at least four times that of the rate for the general U.S. population.
Some priests and behavioral experts believe the church has scared priests into silence by treating homosexual acts as an abomination and the breaking of celibacy vows as shameful, the Star said.
Catholic cardinals in the United States and high-ranking church officials in the Vatican declined requests to discuss the newspaper's findings, The Star reported. The Vatican referred questions to local bishops.
Bishop Raymond Boland of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph said the AIDS deaths show that priests are human.
"Much as we would regret it, it shows that human nature is human nature," he said. "And all of us are heirs to all of the misfortunes that can be foisted upon the human race."
UPDATE November 2000
New Study Finds Catholic Priests Dying From AIDS at Higher Than Expected Rate
According to a study following a January report on Catholic priests dying of AIDS, the Kansas City Star has found that the AIDS-related death rate among priests "exceeds earlier estimates." The Star reported in a three-part series in January that "hundreds of priests had died of AIDS-related illnesses and that hundreds more were living with the virus that causes the disease."
Follow-up research, based on death certificates and interviews with family members, found an additional 300 AIDS-related priest deaths nationwide. However, researchers were unable to count AIDS-related deaths in the nearly two-thirds of states that do not disclose death records, and experts say that the "exact AIDS death toll among U.S. priests will never be known." In the 14 states that allowed the Star to access death records, the paper found that the AIDS-related death rate among priests was "more than double" the rate among all adult males in those states and more than six times the rate among the general population in those states. The Star reports that these rates "exceeded the estimates and projections reported earlier this year by the newspaper," and the follow-up investigation reveals that "there is no longer any question that hundreds of priests have died of AIDS and that many bishops were aware of their plights."
Mixed Response
The new study has sparked further controversy surrounding the relationship between priests, who are required to be celibate, and AIDS (Thomas, Kansas City Star, 11/4).
An op-ed to the Star by Rev. Patrick Rush, the vicar general of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, states that the paper's conclusions "are not consistent with the experience of our local diocese: not the death rate, not the silence and not the denial." He added, "The Star's continued reporting on the subject of priests with AIDS sadly misses the point. Any death from HIV/AIDS is a tragedy. ... It is a problem for us all" (Rush, Kansas City Star, 11/6).
But advocates cite the report as evidence that the Catholic Church needs to further address the issue.
Eugene Kennedy, former priest and biographer of the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago, said, "The fact that you have priests having very active sexual lives, that you have priests contracting HIV and dying of AIDS and that they have refused to come to terms with this and tend to deny it, I don't see how you look at this and not say that these are symptoms of an unresolved sexual problem within the church."
Sister Mary Ann Walsh, spokesperson for the Conference of Bishops, said the church "had been active in dealing with the AIDS issue and that seminary formation programs today are doing a better job of educating priests about sexuality issues."
Examples of recent efforts to address sexual issues and AIDS within the church include:
The National Federation of Priests' Councils is "updating" a 93-page document about AIDS. It now provides direction on how dioceses and religious orders should "deal with" HIV-positive priests and whether priest candidates should be tested for HIV.
The National Conference of Catholic Bishops, originally one of the study's "harshest critics," is endorsing a "major study" to look at problems priests face in their first five years after ordination. Dean Hoge, the study's principal investigator, said that the topics of sexuality and celibacy will be addressed.
The Church of England revealed this year that at least 25% of its priests had died of AIDS-related illnesses, and in September mandated that all Anglican bishops in southern Africa undergo HIV testing.
Root of the Problem
Through interviews with priests, AIDS experts, doctors, psychologists and educators, the Star found a general consensus that more education and communication is needed to curb the "tragedy of priests dying of AIDS."
Rev. Thomas Reese, editor of America magazine, a national Jesuit publication, cited the biggest issue as the "silence surrounding ... gay priests." Reese said, "The silence highlights a tension in a church that defines homosexuality as 'intrinsically disordered' but relies on many gay men to celebrate the sacraments and carry out the work of the church."
Jon Fuller, a Jesuit priest and Boston physician who specializes in AIDS, lamented the fact that the Vatican discourages open discussions on sexuality, considers homosexual relations a sin and opposes "modern practice" of safe sex.
However, the church has not entirely ignored the AIDS epidemic and has served as a "major provider of AIDS services" in San Francisco, according to the Rev. Jim Mitulski, co-pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco, a "predominantly gay congregation." Mitulski said, "It's compassion that comes with a price tag. ... The irony is, here's this institution that does have a heart for sick people, but at the same time, it's fostering a climate where HIV continues to be spread" (Kansas City Star, 11/4).
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Simple is always better
Dressing up means making sure you always look classic because that will always be timeless.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Lanvin For H&M
H&M's next designer collaboration will be with Lanvin on collections of womenswear and menswear hitting stores November 23, the chain announced overnight in a press release. Alber Elbaz will design the ladies' collection while Lucas Ossendrijver will design the men's. Elbaz said in May that he hadn't considered doing a fast-fashion collection, and last year said of mass-market collaborations: "I have a problem to do a collection that is a secondary line. I mean, you don't want to be the stepsister. You want to be Cinderella. Show me one girl who wants to be the stepsister."
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Marc Jacobs Gets Naked With Louis Viutton
In the January issue of Harper’s Bazaar Magazine, you will find Marc Jacobs’ all-naked spread. It’s a publicity ad for his collaboration with Stephen Sprouse and their limited edition graffiti design.
The two first collaborated in 2001. Then new line, will have Speedys in rose motifs (Sprouse’s signature) coincides with Sprouse’s book release in February.
Marc Jacob says, “I tried to take what Stephen had done at Vuitton and then kind of flip it in my head, and make it Vuitton’s work for Stephen, not Stephen’s work for Vuitton.”
Stunning in San Francisco!
First Lady Michelle Obama was in San Francisco last Monday night at a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee. She was joined by House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Dr. Jill Biden. Mrs. Obama selected earrings from the Cage Collection by Mary Esses. The earrings feature large vivid green amethysts of 69 carats, set in a nest of 18k white gold and accented by diamonds. They were the perfect compliment to the Mauve leopard burn-out velvet dress from Thakoon.
The First Lady is fast becoming an avid fan of Mary’s designs, often turning to her to accent her look at many note-worthy events and appearances. This marks the fourth occasion that Mrs. Obama has worn jewelry from Mary Esses. www.maryesses.com
www.thestylist-aml.blogspot.com
Does this make you look?
So, sex is always used to advertise most of the products that we use in our daily lives. But drugs? Do you think it's pushing a bit much?
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Your Grandpa Never Wore His Tie Like This
Take a classic piece of accessory like a men's tie and give it a twist. Slim jeans, slim shirt, and tuck in that tie!
Sex always sells
As much as we are afraid to express our sexuality for some reason sex is always used to sell products and services. No one pushes the buttons like Tom Ford for his men's line and cologne.
Unretouched Photos Of Madonna’s D&G Ad Campaign
Someone must really have a thing for Madonna; this is the fourth time unretouched images of her have leaked — this year! This time, the images are from the Queen of Pop’s recent ad campaign for Dolce & Gabbana, and while the differences pre- and post-production are certainly startling, we can’t help but wish the design duo had gone with the originals.
Yes, Madonna has wrinkles, veins, and muscles for which she’s worked long and hard — and all of those things are what make her so fabulous. If they’re going to choose to hire a 52-year-old icon, mother, and super star, they should show her as she is — otherwise, what’s the point?
And additionally, there’s something so wonderfully light, vulnerable, and refreshing about these pre-production images. Now that’s an ad campaign that would have made us stop and stare.
HERMES belt is always classic and stylish
Via Roma, Genova
Yes, most of the men in downtown Genova look this sharp. Even with a motorcycle helmet and CHIPS shades, he’s still got you beat. This Hermes belt is crazy expensive and everyone is wearing them. Just shows you how versatile the belt is. Dress it up with a beautiful navy suit, or rock it with a pair of torn jeans.
Dolce & Gabbana Underwear
Listen up men. If you want to turn your lady on, or your guy, D&G underwear will help you do that. Great quality, and lots of attention.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Top 10 Reasons Why Men Cheat
1. Because they can …
This is possibly the hardest one to understand, but when men are offered sex, they are likely to take up the offer. Research suggests that this is because they are less used to be propositioned and so are more likely to feel flattered and wanted.
2. It boosts his ego …
Men in long term relationships tend to feel less attractive to the opposite sex, so when a woman pays attention, he will allow her to stroke his ego some more. The thrill of the chase leads to a massive ego boost when he finally sleeps with her.
3. You grow apart …
You stop taking an interest in golf or playstation games, and he finds somebody else who does. He'll then want to see if they are compatible in the bedroom, too…
4. He has fallen out of love …
He may just be staying for the kids, or for financial reasons, or because he doesn't want to hurt you, so he'll seek love elsewhere. To him, this is win-win.
5. You argue a lot …
He will become less and less happy at home, and will go elsewhere to be comforted.
6. Your sex life has died …
Whether you've stopped making an effort or you're just no longer interested, if your sex life is suffering chances are he will play away.
7. It's exciting …
If your life has got boring, he will probably be bored. This is the reason men cheat with people they think are less attractive then their partner. The new woman will be more attentive, and make more of an effort, and he won't be able to say no.
8. To see if he can …
If his friends get away with it, or his parents did, he may just want to see if he can too
9. If you've let him in the past …
It's true, once he has done it once and been forgiven, he won't think twice about doing it again.
10. If you did it to him …
Whether you actually have or he just suspects you to, he will feel hurt and upset and most of the time he will want revenge, whether it's in the form of a barmaid or his ex-girlfriend.
World’s Most Expensive Condoms
This time Sagami Rubber Industries, the first condom manufacturer in Japan and Okamoto's archrival, is introducing a luxury brand of condom "Sagami Original 0.02 Premium". According to Sagami it would be the thinnest and most expensive condom in the world.
The high-end condoms "Sagami Original 0.02 Premium" is a new addition to the popular "Sagami Original 0.02" brand polyurethane condoms, which achieved toughness (three times higher bursting pressure and two times higher tensile strength than normal latex condoms) and thinness (world's thinnest 0.02mm) at the same time. "Premium" gained even more softness and flexibility than its predecessors.
Comes in gorgeous black and gold packages.
Released on Feb. 14th, 2009, at the price of 2100 yen (approx. 23 USD, including tax) for a 4pcs box. Admittedly it is quite expensive, more than five dollars a shot, but it might be a good idea for lovebirds to enjoy the extravagance on special occasions like Valentine's Day, to make up for the cut in expensive gifts and dinners due to the state of economy these days.
Speedos or Board Shorts?
Men with confidence wear speedos. Men without confidence wear board shorts.
LnA Tees
If you are in shape and like wearing T'shirts, LnA is the brand for you. They are a little pricy compare to other brands out there but very worth it. Available for men and women, great quality and wears very well.
When in Sorrento, please visit La Torre
On my last trip, I was invited to eat at La Torre. I have to say, I never ate such amazing food before.
Ristorante La Torre
Santa Maria Annunziata, Massa Lubrense, Campania, Italy
Food concept: Traditional.
Wine: Everything produced by Feudi di San Gregorio. The owner of the winery is a frequent customer of "La Torre".
Service: Efficient and friendly. All members of the family serve.
Clientele: Italians. There was no tourist in sight!
Location and ambience: In the small village of Santa Maria Annunziata, in Massa Lubrense.
Chef/Owner: The Chef is Maria, who chats with the customers when she is not busy in the kitchen. Maria's husband Tonino, is managing the service.
My Pick of Top 3 Colognes for Men
1. Terre D'Hermes by Hermes
2 Silver Mountain Water by Creed
3. Baie de Genievre by Creed
European Men's Fashion Tips
European men have a style that's intrinsically their own, and this flair for fashion has many admirers. At once sleek and comfortable, the European man maintains a look that speaks of quality without being vain or overdone. Several touches set the European man apart from others. Take some tips into account to create the look that so many fashion fans covet.
Wear Fitted Clothing
European men eschew baggy clothing at all costs. Everything from jeans to suits have a slim or slender cut that skims the line of the body. While Americans may make a practice of wearing loose swim trunks and pants that hang low, European men are known for skimpy swimwear and slender jeans. If skinny pants are too much, a straight cut will do; leave the wide-legged styles on the rack, unless you're purchasing a linen resort pant.
Own a Quality Suit
While it may seem like the deal of a century to find a $99 suit, European men would pass the same bargain by in favor of something of higher quality. Whether it's custom made or simply a good off-the-rack garment, the European men's suit is usually a cut above most American popular corporate fare. Plus, a well-made suit will press and wear better than a cheaper suit, making it a lower-maintenance garment than its budget counterpart. Sylvie Branch of MadeMan writes, "Knowing that you can quickly dress for dinner or other event helps create that relaxed European elegance."
Wear a Scarf
A scarf, casually knotted around the collar of a half-open button-down, is effortlessly stylish and sophisticated. Another scarf, tied in the ascot style with a sports jacket, commands respect and appears regal. "The scarf is quickly becoming the accessory for cosmopolitan men. The scarf is a slightly whimsical, unusual accessory, so if you haven’t tried one, now’s your chance," Men's Flair writes. There are several ways to tie and drape your scarf, so keep that little piece of adornment for occasions casual and fancy alike.
No Fanny Packs
In Europe, men roam the streets with a male purse or a messenger bag. The fanny pack is a quick tourist identifier and a relic of a bygone era. A messenger bag carries a lot, including a laptop, wallet, keys and personal electronics, plus it looks more sophisticated than a lumpy pouch that hangs from the waist. If in doubt, purchase a leather or nylon model in black or brown that matches a wide range of clothing.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Marinella, the best tie in the world
It is at the beginning of the XX century that Eugenio Marinella throws the bases of what would become one of the most fabulous Neapolitan "successful stories ". In 1914, at the eve of the first world war, Eugenio decided, showing an undeniable amount of courage and initiative, to open a shop in Piazza Vittoria, on the elegant Riviera di Chiaia in Naples, at that time, as today, one of the most beautiful waterfronts in Italy.
The position proved to be strategic for a little shop of only 20 square meters, in front of which the Neapolitan high society went walking. After having carried out the works of restructuring and having acquired the two studios, a very large one for the manufacture of shirts, and a smaller one, for the ties, Don Eugenio set out on his first journey to London, to meet his future suppliers…
The shop soon becomes a small precious casket in which authentic treasures of refinement and taste can be found, a small corner of England in Naples. In a time when the English style is a lot in fashion, Marinella is the only one to propose, in Naples, a vast range of exclusive products coming from London, exacting the sole right from the English suppliers. At the beginning, the main activity of the shop is not the tie but the shirt, queen of the men wardrobe. With the purpose to be at the top of the fashion and of the quality, Eugenio persuades some artisans shirt-makers, of level without equal, to move from Paris, to teach his workers the art of the cut.
The History
The history of Marinella family starts with the founder Eugenio Marinella who, when he was 34, and after fifteen years in the field of the men clothing, decided that the moment had come to change the style and the way of dressing of a man of importance. He is just the founder of the " Marinella philosophy ": more than a sale point, a salon where the human relationships are based on availability, courtesy and respect. After him, his son Luigi and today his grandson Maurizio, have brought forth his philosophy making the Marinella ties a real symbol of elegance. In the years before his death, Don Eugenio had imposed his grandson Maurizio, who was about ten, to spend every day a few times in the shop so that he could breathe its air; so Maurizio received two teachings: the one by his grandfather about the relationships with the old clientele, and the one by his father that manages the advent of the economic boom. Maurizio has been able to conjugate the entrepreneurial spirit with the availability for clientele: in the Christmas period, for example, when the queues at the shop are endless, he offers sfogliatelle and coffee to the people in wait. If the small shop in Naples is, today as yesterday, the place of meeting of the elegant people of the whole world, it’s due to the three Marinella generations, that have never wanted to transform the name in a great trademark, but they have preferred to associate to it the image of small shop that today, as in 1914, proposes products of quality in a discreet and convivial but in the meantime informal background.
Luchino Visconti ordered galore of it, all with blue or red background, unlined as foulard that he coordinated to coloured small pocket Indian silk handkerchiefs. Aristotle Onassis used to buy twelve of it in one time, rigorously black, to discourage the interlocutors and never to make them to understand of what humour he was. Still today, as at the beginning of the century, the Marinella ties are round the neck of the most elegant and famous men: the book of the signatures jealously guarded in the shop enumerates the autographs of a lot of crowned heads and presidents of state, high exponents of the politics and the entrepreneurial world, of the culture and of the show. They have been round the neck of all the American presidents from Kennedy onwards, included Bill Clinton who was given them by his wife Hillary. Today among the noble customers there are King Juan Carlos and the prince Alberto of Monaco, several exponents of Agnelli house, but also Cossiga, Berlusconi and D’Alema.. Men endowed with good taste, who don't want to resign the tie, manufactured to measure by experienced hands, men for whom a Marinella tie is a true "author's knot."
The Decalogue
Here is a tie decalogue based on the Marinella's teachings.
1- As in all the things, also for tie it is a matter of size: the correct one stays between 8,5 and the 9,5 cm. at the widest point
2- The knot: it’s important to learn to do it without tightening too much, avoid the effect “hung.” Always untie it in the evening and hang the tie well stretched during the night.
3- Using the correct material: silk jacquard for the regimental, lighter silk model foulard for the printed cloth, pattern for the ties with an elegant tone, lines wool or Scottish patterns for winter sporting clothing.
4- A tie for every occasion: in the morning prefer a light colour and patterned tie, in the evening opt for a darker tie.
5- Don't take advice and don’t remit the choice of the tie to anybody: the only rule is to follow the instinct. Choosing the tie has to be an irrational action.
6- The instinct has to follow a certain logic, too. Absolutely avoid: too wide and showy patterns, ties with an only central pattern but also too pale and anonymous ones. Remember that the tie reveals the personality.
7- To prefer: even tint ties in definite colours, small patterns (pois, lozenges, little squares, rhombus, small cashmere prints), transversal lines of two or three colours at the most.
8- The colours: the tie must stand out against the suit and the shirt, without clashing. It must be of a colour darker than the shirt’s one and more intense than the jacket’s one. It’s often the only coloured note of a serious clothing, but be careful not to exaggerate! Avoid the pea green, the canary yellow as the fire red and the sugared almond pink. Darker colours, but not anonymous, the bordeaux and the dark red, the blue, the green and the brown.
9- The combining with the shirt is a mine-field where only the good taste can drive you: avoid however the overlap of a tie with a thick pattern on a squared shirt or the combining “all-stripes” of a regimental tie, stripes shirt and jacket in operated material.
10- Never the coordinated tie + small pocket handkerchief: it is as useless as anachronistic affectation. Always avoid to have a too cared and affected comprehensive look and opt for relaxed)elegance.
Unless you own a KITON suit, you basically don't own a suit.
I love when guys come to my boutique, and flaunt the fact that they just bought an expensive suit by Hugo Boss or Calvin Klein, and others.
If you really want to advertise the brand, then go and buy a KITON suit for yourself. Very exclusive and a real investment.
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